Improvement in breech-loading flre-arms



J H; SELWYN.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm;

Patented Aug. 14, 1866.

WVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASPER H. SELWYN, OF WOODLAND URAG, GRASMERE, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,269, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Beitknown that I, JASPER HENRY SELWYN, of W'oodland Crag, Grasmere, Westmoreland, England, (captain It. N.,) a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Breech -Loading Cartridges and in Breech- Loading Fire-Arms to be used therewith and I, the said JASPER HENRY SELWYN, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereofthat is to say:

My invention'consists of the following improvements in breech-loading fire-arms to be used in connection with the improvement in cartridges.

In using my improved'cartridges the smaller end of the cartridge is first introduced into the charge-chamber of the ride, the barrel of which has, immediately in front of its breech end,an annnlargroovc or depression,into which the aforesaid annular projection on the fore end of the cartridge is forced by the explosion of the powder; or (in case of a cartridge formed with plain sides, as aforesaid) the sides of the said cartridge are forced into the said annular depression by the explosion of the powder. I prefer to discharge the car- 1 tridge by means of a bolt or striker, which strikes upon the fulminate and at the same time fastens down the charge-chamber.

On the discharge of the rifle the expansion of the fore end of the cartridge-case into the annular groove or depression in the barrel makes an air-tight join t, thereby superseding the ordinary gas valve or ring. The expanded end of the cartridge-case is at the same time so far fixed in the barrel that on raising or separating the charge-chamber the exploded diflerent in each figure. In. the said Figs. 1, 2. and 8, the copper or metallic case of the cartridge is marked a, the projectile in its base I), and the gunpowder e.

In Fig. 1 the ignition of the cartridge is effected by a perforated and inverted percussioncap, d,situated in the smaller end of the cartridge, at the bottom of which percussion-cap the fulminate is placed. In discharging the cartridge the pin or striker of the rifle enters the cap at and strikes the inlminate therein, the flash or fire from which passes through its perforated end to the gunp'owder o.

In Fig. 2 the cartridge is discharged by the ordinary anvil and percussion-cap at e.

In Fig. 3 the cartridge is discharged by the pin or striker of the rifle entering a perforated semicircular depressioin'f, in the smaller end of the cartridge, in which depression the fulminate is placed, the said depression being closed by a metallic or other disk. The cartridges may, however, be discharged in a variety of ways, the details being changed according to the particular construction of the gun with which the. cartridges are to be used. Fig. 4 represents, in longitudinal section, the essential parts of a Mont Storm rifle, to which a cartridge of the kind represented in Fig. 2 is applied, the said Fig. 4 also showing one of the methods used for discharging the cartridge; and Fig. 5 represents the rifle after the cartridge has beendischarged, the chargechamber being ready to beraised for a recharge and to allow the exploded cartridgecase to fall therefrom.

f is the hinged charge-chamber of the rifle, the cavity in which chamber is of a spheroidoconical figure corresponding with the cartridge a. In the free end of the charge-ehamberf is an opening, 9, in which the pin or striker h for igniting the cartridge is situated, the said pin or striker being acted upon by the bolt 13.

The return motion of the striker is efiected by the coiled spring represented, but which may be omitted. The saidbolt "i is worked from the axis of the hammer of the rifle, and when projected forward by the descent of the harm mer entersthe opening 9 in the charge-chamber f, and acts upon the pin or striker h to discharge the cartridge, aud at the same time holds or fastens down the said charge-chamber during discharge.

depr'ession k in the end" At the open breech-end of the barrel m is an annular groove or depression, is, for the purposes h'ereinafter explained. y

In introducing the spheroido-conical cartridges-into the opening in the charge-chamberf,-the narrow end of the cone of the cartridge is introduced first, and the cartridge is pushed home, so, as to completely fill up the charge-chamber. The oharge-chamberis then turned down into the barrel, and, by raising the hammer of the rifle to full-cock, the rifle is ready to be discharged. 0n the'discharge ofthe rifle the explosion causes the metal at the base or fore-end of the cartridge-case to be forced into the annular groove or depression k in the barrel, and thus make a tight joint andprevent all escape of gasat the breech.

- The ordinary'gas valve or ring is thereby rendered unnecessary.

The base of the exploded cartridge-case is illu'stratedin Fig.5 forced into the groove or f the barrel, the, ex-

' panded base being marked" 1,,

Instead of forcing the plain; end of the car.-

tridgeecase into the annular-depression inthe barrel, as .described, an annular projection may :be constructed, on the: end j'o'f the car tridge-caseand be forcedby the. explosion of the guuinto the depressiouin the breech end ofthe barrel.

A; cartridge-case with an annular projection upon it is represented in Fig. 6, and marked l. Afterthe discharge of the rifle the bolt 11 is withdrawn from the opening 9 in the charge-.'

chamber f by raising the hammer to half-cock, when the charge chamber may be raised. The expanded-base l of the exploded cartridgecase being retained by or fitting tightly in the end of the barrel, on raisingthe charge-chamberf the said cartridge-case is started or partly drawn from thesaid chamber during the raising'of the same, and will fall out, or can be readily removed by hand, thus obviating the necessity for a cartridge-case extractor.

In order to make the cartridges fit tightly in the charge-chambers the cases may have a longitudinal rib or ribs or projections made upon them, which ribs or projections act as springs and hold the cartridges firmly in the when cartridge-cases made of metal or partly of metal areused, the base of the case isforced. J

by the explosion, yet the said depression may be varied in form, or even be dispensed with, and theexploded cartridge-cases removed from the charge-chambers by hand or by any convenient means. I My cartridges may be used with all guns or rifles in which the cartridges are introduced "at the front of the charge-chamber in addition to the rifle in. connection with which I have described and represented them.

. Having now describedthe nature of my invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, 1 wish it to be understood that Ido not limit myself to the precise details hereinbefore described and illustrated, as the same may be varied Without departing from the nature of my invention but What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The improvements in breech-loading firearms described and represented-that is to say, making the charge-chamber of a conical or spheroido-conical figure, and making an j annular groove or depression at the breech end of the barrel, -i

pa-nded on discharge, and retained so as to be started or drawn onthe separation of the charge-chamber from the barrel.

. J. H. SELWYN. Witnesses:

11. H Mnanoom, 7 Staple Inn, London. JOHN VENN,

71 Oornht'll, London, Notary Public.

vhich -groovetor d epression the end of the cartridge-case is ex- 

